Guess what? We have a 6 pound baby. :) Barely over 6, but still 6! She had another good quiet night with no episodes...just a couple full diapers and a bath. We should find out today what time we are moving to MCG tomorrow.
Yesterday evening as we were getting into the NICU and about to start our 3 minutes of hand/arm washing, there was a lady already there at one of the sinks. She asked us how long our baby had been there, and when we answered with "almost 14 weeks" she asked how early the baby was. I told her she was born at 24 weeks, and her eyes got big. "My son's baby was just born at 24 weeks too! How is your baby doing? What does she weigh now?" I told her she was doing pretty well, that she started out at 1lb 9oz and now weighed 5lb 14 oz (at the time). This time her eyes lit up--she said her son's baby weighed that exact same amount and she was glad to hear that things would get better.
I hated to crush her little spark of hope, so I just smiled and said that I hoped things went well for them. Yes, it's true that it will probably get better, but they have no idea of the road ahead of them--we sure didn't. I wanted to tell her that they will be scared 100% of the time, even when things are ok. That they will sometimes feel like running away screaming if they have to spend one more second in that NICU, but then when they do leave they will feel like they are abandoning their child and will be drawn back just as quickly as they left. I wanted to look the mom in the eye and tell her that I know she is terrified and miserable and feels like no one on earth knows what's going on in her brain; I know she feels guilty for putting her child through this. She wonders that if something happens to the baby, will the rest of the family blame her? I want to tell them not to give up, to ask questions and be nosy and talk the ears off of the doctors and nurses and be their baby's biggest fans. That they have to stick together and not get upset with each other when stress makes them angry and anxious and unsettled.
I probably won't get to tell this new family all of that--I'm not sure I would have heard and comprehended it had someone tried to explain it all to me right after Aubrey was born. Each NICU experience is so individualized--there really is no way to compare one family's journey to another. We still aren't done with our long road, though maybe we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm praying that the three of us get out of this dark tunnel soon and in one piece and that it means we can finally go home as a family.
-Keli
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| her eyes were a little red after they were checked |
8p.m.
What a day. Aubrey had a good one--no episodes. The doctor caught me right as I got to the hospital and said that moving her to MCG tomorrow wasn't a sure thing--the transport team might have to go somewhere else to pick a baby up instead. So then he called me right after I left the hospital to tell me that the move date was definitely being changed, and we'd move on Sunday instead of Friday. He said they weren't going to do any tests on Aubrey until Monday, so we might as well sit and wait at University with people we know. ;) So, we sit tight until Sunday, which is fine by us. We had a tough time leaving the NICU tonight as the nurses that were there weren't going to be back until after we have moved. They all hugged us and told us they loved us and would miss us, and that we had to bring Aubrey back to visit (and that I could still make them cookies if I wanted to).
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| Adam claimed the heat lamp when Aubrey was done with it |
The speech therapist came to work with Aubrey while I was there this afternoon and she showed me the exercises she does with her so I could do them too. She stretched her lips and rubbed her gums and cheeks and tried to get her to suck on her finger and a pacifier. I know Aubrey can do the pacifier thing because we've given her one before, but she was so put out with the lady's fingers all in her mouth that she didn't want to do anything for her. After the lady left and I was snuggling with Aubrey, I put my pinky in Aubrey's mouth and she sucked on it just like she's supposed to. I think she'll get it when she needs to.
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| do the wave! |
You know how we were sort of worried that we hadn't heard Aubrey cry? Well, she cried twice today! The first time, the nurse had her on her tummy with her bare little tush sticking up in the air. She has a couple of red, raw places on her bottom and she was letting it dry out. She had the heat lamp on her to keep her warm, and apparently Aubrey got too hot and let everyone know it. Then the nurse said she cried again while the eye doctor was checking her tonight. I didn't get to hear her either time; I hate that she cried, but I'm so glad to know that she can and will! I guess she's just used to people messing with her in all manners and at all times, but she finally found something that made her mad enough to cry.
-Keli
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| Aubrey's foot on Adam's pinky: on the left, October 21, the day after she was born; on the right, Jan. 24 |
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